Train services between Bihar-Jharkhand to resume from November 11

Direct flight services between Patna and Ranchi are still in suspension.

Passenger train services between Bihar and Jharkhand are set to resume from November 11, after the break of four months since it was discontinued to check the spread of coronavirus disease (Covid-19).

To start with, the east central railway (ECR) zone has decided to run six pairs of Puja special trains.

To start with, the east central railway (ECR) zone has decided to run six pairs of Puja special trains on timing and schedules of the most popular trains to connect various different cities of Jharkhand like Ranchi, Dhanbad, Barkakana, Tata Nagar, Garhwa on their routes. Two pairs of trains will go to Bilaspur and Durg in Chhattisgarh and Singrauli in Madhya Pradesh.

ECR chief public relations officer Rajesh Kumar said that the festival special trains would continue to run till December 2 to cater to rush during Diwali and Chhath, after the railway board gave its consent to operate them in adherence to the stipulated Covid protocols.

While the railways resumed the passenger trains services on different routes across the country in a calibrated manner from May 25 after the waiver in lockdown norms, which was enforced on March 24 to contain spread of Covid-19, special trains to cities like Ranchi, Dhanbad, Tata Nagar and Bokaro were suspended again since July 11, leaving the people to fend for themselves.

Bus service on the Patna-Ranchi route was resumed in early September, but the cost of travel has jumped almost four times the normal fare in the absence of alternatives. “Passengers are being made to pay ₹900-1200 for a seat to travel to Ranchi from Patna and vice versa against usual fare of ₹300-400,” said Md Khalid, a resident of Ranchi’s Hindpirhi area.

Bus operators have their own plea to justify the hefty rise in fare, saying that they had to procure permissions to run the busses stealthily in Jharkhand, which had banned the bus operations from Bihar. “One of the luxury buses has been caught by the Ranchi police on charges of violation of the government orders,” said the manager of Royal Arzoo bus.

Direct flight services between Patna and Ranchi are still in suspension. Those aspiring to travel to Ranchi from Patna and vice versa are compelled to take connecting flights via Delhi or Kolkata, and thus making it a costly affair. “These days it costs around ₹9000-10000 for one way journey from Patna to Ranchi against the normal airfare of ₹3,500 to 4,500,” said Munna Jha, a frequent flier.

With limited facilities for public transport, private cabs have also increased their tariff between Patna and Ranchi. “I had to pay ₹9,500 as rent for a cab travel from Ranchi to Patna last week due to an emergency. Earlier, it used to cost around ₹6000-7000 for a one-way journey,” said Mahendra Sahni, a grocery shop owner of Kankerbagh.

The railways announcement to run special trains came as a sigh of relief to those aspiring to travel to Jharkhand cities from Bihar or wanted to return. The nine pairs of trains will run as per the schedules of Patna-Ranchi Jan Shatabdi, Patna-Dhanbad Ganga Damodar express, Patna-Barkakand Palamu express, Singrauli-Patna express, Rajendra Nagar-Durg Express via Tata Nagar and Jainagar Manihari express.

The ECR is also contemplating running special trains in places of Hatia-Patna-Islampur express and Hatia-Purnia Court Kosi Express soon. The CPRO said that train service between Bihar and Jharkhand destinations was suspended on the Jharkhand government’s request to counter the spread of Covid-19.